


A Ghost Story

by AuthorReinvented



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Character Death, Human Names, Mentions of Suicide, Other, Supernatural - Freeform, a little sad, ghost - Freeform, school au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:00:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22450720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuthorReinvented/pseuds/AuthorReinvented
Summary: A Hetalia School AUAlfred tells a ghost story, and his friends eager to investigate, but there may be more than just a sad story to this ghostly tale....
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

Mathew leaned over the back of the chair as Alfred talked a mile a minute about a ghost story he heard. "So, they say the ghost is around our age!" He explained excitedly, waving his arms. "They say he was always ignored by his classmates, then one day-" He made a sudden choking sound and jerked his neck to the side. His friends gasped. "He hung himself, right in this very classroom!" Yao, Alfred's Chinese friend, and a firm believer in ghosts, glanced around nervously. "You shouldn't say things like that! It's bad luck! You know ghosts know when you're talking about them?" Alfred's bravado faded in an instant. "Wait, really?" Mathew laughed. "Of course not, idiot." He told Alfred, but Alfred didn't seem to hear him, shaking in fear.  
"That's like freaking scary, man!" Alfred looked terrified. Ivan, a schoolmate built like a rugby player, but with a sweet face, and a usually gentle attitude spoke up. "But why are you so scared of ghosts, Alfred? You aren't scared of haunted houses and zombies and stuff?" Alfred was shaking his head. "No, that's different! You can't punch a ghost!" "Wait, you punch the monsters in haunted houses?" Yao was horrified. "those are just people in costumes!" "Wait really?" Mathew face plamed at Alfred's dumbfounded expression. "No Alfred," he said sarcastically, under his breath. "there's real monsters that they import from hell just for Halloween."   
Alfred suddenly shrieked as he recieved a sharp blow to his head from behind. "So it was your fault we got kicked out of the haunted house last fall!" Arthur Kirkland, Alfred's self-proclaimed "older brother" and his neighbour stood behind him scowling. "His best friend/rival, Francis, stood behind him, laughing a little at the exchange. Both were second years, while Alfred and his friends were only freshmans. " Now, now, "He soothed." No need to get violent, that's such an Alfred thing to do. " He leaned over Alfred's shoulder." What are you talking about anyways?" "The ghost of that kid who killed himself last year!" Alfred responded, a little too loudly, a little too cheerily. Instantly Francis turned cold.  
"Suicide is not funny. That boy had family and friends who cared about him." He turned and stalked out of the room with a face masked in stone, something Mathew had never seen before on the normally nice, if not a little flirty, older boy . He swallowed a little past the lump that formed in his throat at those words, and resisted the urge to run after him and comfort him. After all, it wouldn't do any good. He looked at Arthur, pleadingly. "Please go after him, he needs you." Arthur smacked Alfred in the head again, except this time, the emotion was real. "You're so insensitive!" He hissed.  
"Francis and they boy were really close before that happened, and he still blames himself for it!" With those angry words he too stomped out of the room, running after Francis. Mathew shook his head at the look on Alfred's face, a half self-pitying pout, half real chagrin. "Really now, can't you think before you act at all?" Mathew sighed. "That poor boy." Yao breathed, breathlessly, distraught. "We should burn some spirit paper for him." Ivan, choosing to be oblivious to the mood, simply changed the subject, suggesting they play a game of hockey after school.  
Mathew like Ivan because they had similar interests. They both liked hockey, both came from cold places, as Mathew was Canadian and Ivan was originally from Russia, and they both seemed sweet until they got upset. Ivan's sudden proposal ruined the mood, and suddenly, it was noisy again, as Alfred laughed at him for being unable to read the atmosphere, although Yao still looked a little tense. "Nah dude, instead of playing hockey, why don't we come back here tonight!" Alfred suggested, forgetting his misdemeanor from only a few minutes ago. "We can see if the ghost really does exist!"  
"I don't think that's a good idea, Alfred..." Mathew warned, but Alfred didn't hear. "if it's an evil ghost, Yao can beat it up with his Chinese magic spiritual stuff, and if it's nice, we'll make him our friend!" Yao, almost pitifully, added with a miserable sigh, "it's not magic. It's Ki." Alfred ignored him, pointing to Ivan, who just looked happy to be included. "And Ivan is our muscles in case of an emergency! Like if we get locked in, he can knock the door down and get us out." Ivan seemed perfectly fine with this role, and happily commented "I'll bring my metal pipe just in case." "And I'll get the key!" Alfred said happily. "Arthur's a total teachers pet, so he has an after hours key! I'll just swipe it!" He looked proud of himself for coming up with this idea.   
"So it's decided!" America announced. "We'll all meet up here tonight!" Ivan beamed at this. "Da!" Yao, in turn, scowled. "You decided for us!" He snapped, but regardless, agreed to go. "Someone needs to keep you from destroying the school." He said, loftily, but not incorrectly. After all, Yao was definitely the most self controlled in the group. Mathew smiled, and couldn't help feeling excited. "Then, I'll see you all here tonight!" He said quietly, but excitedly.


	2. Chapter 2

"You're late!" Mathew scolded at the same time as Alfred, as Yao and Ivan ran up. Yao looked disgruntled. "My family caught me sneaking out and made a huge fuss." Alfred opened his mouth to sympathize but was stopped by Yao's next words. "Mom was so happy she made all of us sandwiches." He begrudgingly offered Alfred and Ivan a sandwich from the Tupperware container he had brought. Ivan took a ham and cheese sandwich happily, and Alfred gave Yao a look of disgust. "Your family is insane." Yao nodded. "They said anything that get me out of the house is a good thing. They're worried I'm going to be a shut in like my younger brother." Seeing as Yao also viewed his family's actions as crazy, Alfred decided to forgive him, taking a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Mathew would have declined one, but Yao completely passed over him as though he didn't exist. Mathew didn't mind, he told himself. After all, he was used to it. But it bugged him, only a little. "What about you, Ivan?" Alfred turned on the other offender. "Did you have trouble sneaking out too?" "Da." Ivan agreed, reaching for another sandwich. "I had to sneak past my sisters! He shuddered. "My younger sister wanted to come too." Alfred shuddered too, having met Ivan's possessive sister. 

  
Alfred took charge of the situation again be announcing in a stage whisper "Let's go to the classroom!" Yao clutched his backpack closer to him, gently, as though it was fragile. Ivan on the other hand had only brought his metal pipe as promised, and Alfred felt safer with it. Mathew was completely bare handed, and Alfred had brought the flashlight. Alfred with the flashlight took up the lead, with Yao in the middle, Ivan behind Yao, and Mathew trailing behind Ivan. They stopped just outside the classroom. Alfred turned, eyes shining with excitement. "Hey, what do you think the ghost is like?"   
Mathew blinked at this question caught off guard, and Yao looked uncomfortable. To everyone's surprise, it was Ivan who spoke up. "He must be lonely and scared." Alfred turned to look at Ivan, shocked by his slightly sad tone. Ivan still had a tiny smile on his face, but it didn't look happy, not to Alfred. "Why do you say that?" Ivan scraped his metal pipe along the ground. "being alone.... Is scary." Ivan said softly, looking rather small all of a sudden. Mathew wondered exactly what Ivan had gone through at his last school. Whatever it was had left him scarred, emotionally. Yao also seemed to remember when Ivan first started school and no-one would talk to him because they were scared. Alfred, trying his best to read the mood, came up with a solution. "Well, in that case, if he's a nice ghost, he can be our friend!" He announced happily. "Then he won't be lonely any more!" He looked proud of his idea, and Ivan seemed to cheer up at this idea too. Yao wasn't convinced that he would like a ghost as a friend, but smartly decided not to say anything. 

  
With this matter settled, Alfred turned to creep through the door. There was a creak of floorboards behind them, and a hand reached put of the darkness and Fred screamed as it connected with him. Ivan prepared to use his metal pipe, but stopped, recognizing the person standing there. "What are you doing here!" Arthur hissed, grabbing Alfred by the back of his hoodie. Alfred's heart went from a hundred beats a minute to stopping temporarily. He thought to himself that he would have prefer an angry ghost. Arthur's friend Francis trailed behind and his eyes looked lined with red, as though he had been crying. Mathew backed up into the shadows and disappeared. "Really now!" Arthur turned his stern gaze to Ivan and Yao. "I expect this from Alfred, and Ivan, but you too, Yao?" Ivan blinked innocently, but Arthur knew him too well to fall for that. He kept his gaze stern on both of them. Alfred fished for an excuse, but Yao stood tall and unashamed. "I wanted to come and burn money for that boy." He announced. He pulled some Chinese spirit paper out of his bag, and well as a small white vase with a single white flower in it, which Alfred didn't understand how it hadn't been crushed. Alfred wondered if the only reason Yao had agreed to come was for this, or if it was just a convenient excuse he was using. 

  
Arthur faltered. Despite still believing whole heartedly in things like the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny, he wasn't really convinced of ghosts. Francis, however, was won over. "Yao, you..." He trailed off and Mathew though he could see tears glittering in the corners of his eyes. Francis quickly wiped his tears away. Arthur saw the look on his face and gave in. "Fine, let's go. I'll supervise." He headed the group of boys into the room. Mathew trailed quietly after, trying not to be noticeable.


	3. Chapter 3

The boys gathered soberly in the schoolroom. Francis lightly traced his fingers across the desk. "This was 'is desk." He said quietly, and Alfred noticed that his French accent got stronger when he was upset. Yao quietly took charge. He placed the single white flower on the windowsill. He couldn't put it on the desk, because there was a new student who sat there now. Yao lit the papers, chanting a prayer. Alfred was uncharactly silent, and Ivan had tears glittering in the corners of his eyes. Arthur too, bent his head in a prayer. He whispered his words so quietly that no one but Mathew heard them, not even Francis. "Fairies, God, or whatever, please let him speak to Francis one more time. And please make him happy." Arthur's whispered prayer rung in Matthew's ears, seeming to echo.   
Perhaps it was the sparks from the spirit paper, or perhaps something else, some greater, magical power at work, but the room seemed to light up, temporarily, with tiny sparkling lights. They fell like tiny shooting stars and Mathew could feel them landing warmly on his skin. Yao smiled for the first time that night. "He will be at peace now." He announced confidently. Francis had dropped his head again, his long blonde hair shielding his face, but Arthur could see the shaking in his thin shoulders. 

  
"Lets go home." Arthur's words, though gentle, left no room for arguments. Arthur pushed through to the front and held the door open, and one by one, Yao, Ivan and Alfred filed through. Mathew hung back a little. "I'll be right behind you." He promised quietly to Alfred. Alfred accepted this with a dip of his head. Francis made no move to follow, and Arthur provided a reason. "Francis, can you clean up before you head back?" He asked, almost carelessly, fishing the stolen key out of Alfreds pocket and throwing it carelessly to Francis, who caught it without looking, and nodded mutely.   
For a while the whole group was silent, as though caught in a supernatural moment. It wasn't till Arthur shepherded them out of the school that Alfred finally snapped back to himself. He stopped, counting the members of the group. "Wait!" Alfred's cry stopped the group short. "There's someone missing!" "What do you mean?" Arthur said, half turning, beginning to feel a little cross from being up too late. "There's four of us, and France, but he's staying behind a moment."  
"No," Alfred denied. "There should be six of us in total!" Yao rolled his eyes. "Alfred, there's me, you, Ivan, Arthur, and France," He said impatiently, counting on his fingers. "That five in total." Alfred scowled. "What about Mathew? Matt was here too!" Arthur froze. "What did you say?" He fixed his green eyes curiously on Alfred's face. Alfred huffed, upset. "I said we forgot Mattie, we need to go get him!" He folded his arms looking cross. "Mathew hates being forgotten, he cries when he's the last one at school! I saw him once." He confided, downtrodden.

  
"We don't know anyone named Mathew!" Yao scolded, unaffected by Alfred's sudden somber attitude. Alfred looked to Ivan for help. "Mathew? He's in our class? He likes to make sarcastic comments and talks a lot about hockey?" Ivan shook his head, wide-eyed. "There's no-one named Matthew in our class though, Alfred," He said honestly. "I would remember, I'm sure!" Alfred was getting frustrated. He knew kids tended to overlook Mathew because he was so quiet, but even so.. "He's been in the same class as us since the beginning of the school year!" Alfred exploded, exasperated. "how can you not know who he is?"  
His friends exchanged looks, unsure of what to do. Arthur had a strange look on his face. "Alfred," He asked, barely concealing the urgency in his tone. "where did you hear that name?" Alfred scowled. "I met him at school!" He insisted, slamming his foot down. "He introduced himself to me!" Arthur swayed, looking a little sick. "It can't be." He muttered to himself. "I'm being foolish." 

  
Alfred clenched his hands, and looked prepared to stomp off, but was stopped by Arthur's strangely desperate voice. "Alfred," He looked Alfred in the eye, grabbing his shoulders tightly. "What does Mathew look like?" Alfred brightened, seeing as Arthur so clearly wanted to help. "He's got blond hair, kinda like mine, but closer in colour to Francis's, and it's a little longer than mine, he's a little taller than me, but not by much, and he's got this one little curl in his hair-" Alfred stopped short in his description as Arthur almost threw Alfred away from him, backing up several feet, his hands over his mouth.  
"No." Arthur breathed, shakily. "Oh, no." By now Yao and Ivan were equally curious themselves. Ivan stared at Arthur, and though he might understand what arthur was thinking if he stared hard enough. Yao, on the other hand, faltered, beginning to realize the truth. Alfred, ever oblivious to the mood and still worried about his friend, was less considerate. "What?" he demanded. "Did you see him?" Slowly, shakily, Artur pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and flipped through pictures. Finally, he held up a picture for Alfred's scrutiny. "Is this-?" Arthur's fears were proved true when Alfred lit up instantly. "That's him! That's Mathew!" He turned excitedly to Arthur. "Where did you get that picture?" 

Arthur dropped his hand to his side, limply. "I took that picture of Mathew and Francis last year during summer break when we all went to the beach." He said quietly, tiredly. "We were in the same class." "No way, Mathew's in my class." Alfred loudly objected, but there was a shimmer of something akin to fear in his eyes, as though he was on the verge of discovering a terrible secret. Ivan dropped his metal pipe with a clatter as he finally understood what Arthur was saying. Yao looked on the verge of tears. "I wasn't really close to Mathew." Arthur continued, ruthlessly, as Alfred tried to steady himself. "Mathew was Francis's friend." "Why do you keep saying was?" Alfred asked, legs shaking. "They're not friends anymore?" Tears were rolling down Arthur's face and he shook his head. Suddenly Alfred felt that he really didn't want to hear the answer, and he opened his mouth to stop Arthur, but the words already were out, and Arthur said the terrible truth Alfred had been trying to ignore for so long.

"That's the boy who died last year. Mathew Williams."


	4. Chapter 4

Mathew watched Francis with a breaking heart. His head was bowed, but his long hair falling over his face didn't hide the falling tears. Mathew couldn't take it anymore and spoke, even though he knew Francis couldn't hear him. "If you keep crying, your eyes will get puffy." He said sadly. "Didn't you always say that it will ruin your face?" Then something happened Mathew didn't expect. Francis jerked his head up and stared right at him. 

"Mathieu." He breathed, eyes wide, a look of mixed awe and fear growing across his face. He fell back against the desk behind him. "Mon Dieu, I've finally gone crazy." Mathew felt a thrill go through his form. "You can see me?" He moved forwards with a surge. Francis shook his head, muttering to himself. "You're not real." he said hopelessly. Mathew on the other hand was burning with excitement. 

"Francis, I'm here! It's me!" Francis still refused to look at him, as though to make Mathew disappear. Mathew thought fast, a tiny smile growing on his face as he mischievously spoke. "Remember that time, you, me and Antonio were at the beach?" He said smirking a little. "You slipped up and admitted you thought Arthur was cute?" Francis was staring at Mathews feet now, determinedly. Mathew giggled, whispering teasingly, "But Arthur was sitting behind us the whole time under a beach umbrella and you didn't notice." Francis was so surprised that he forgot to avoid Matthew's gaze. 

"You-" Francis started. "Is that why he wouldn't look me in the face the next day?" Mathew grinned in response, and Francis seemed to realize the truth. "Mathieu, is it really you?" Matthew's grin faded as he nodded. "You complete-" Francis burst into curses in French. "How could you do that? To me, to Gilbert, to yourself?" The words seemed to force themselves out, and a look of regret immediately crossed Francis's face. "Non, you don't need to answer that." 

Mathew looked down at his opaque hands. A part of him was glad Francis had asked, that he finally got it off his chest. "I didn't do it on purpose, you know." The words escaped before Mathew could stop them. "It was an accident." Francis's face contorted with something like anger. "Like hell it was!" Francis snapped. It was Matthew's turn to focus on the other's shoes. 

"Well, the rope wasn't. I thought I'd make a statement and be seen for once in school." He frowned, remembering how frustrated and upset he had been at the time. Francis was hanging on every word, desperately. Mathew continued with a carefully controlled tone. "But at the last minute I changed my mind. But my foot slipped, you see. Kinda funny, eh?" Mathew managed a wry smile. 

"It's not." Francis countered roughly, his voice thick with emotion. "Ce n'est pas drôle." He slipped back into his native French, as he tended to do when upset. Mathew reached out a hand to brush the tears away, but faltered as his hand passed right through Francis. "Why did you have to go?" Mourned Francis. "But I haven't gone anywhere." Mathew countered. "I've always been here." These words only made Francis's brow knit together more. "I've left you alone." He said regretfully. 

"Its not that bad." Mathew responded lightly. "I can always see you when you come to visit Alfred in class, and then sometimes Alfred sees me, though I don't know why." He smiled a liitle at the thought. "But you're not alone either." Mathew turned serious. "You've still got your best friend Antonio, and Gilbert too, even if he is sick. You even have Arthur." "That's not-" Francis started to argue. He stopped and rephrased his words.

"I miss you." And even though Mathew had been doing so well, even though he swore he wouldn't cry, all his tears seemed to break free with those words. He tried to slow the sudden raking sobs that overpowered him. Finally, the tears slowed down, and Mathew hiccuped, wiping his face on his sleeve. He met Francis's eye, and smile a sloppy tearfully smile. Francis's expression mirrored his own, and Mathew was relieved to see that some of the pain was gone from his friend's eyes. 

"I missed you too." Mathew admitted. "I'm glad we were finally able to say all the things we couldn't say before." As he spoke, Matthew's body began to glow, like thousands of tiny sparklers. Francis looked scared, meeting Mathews eyes with fearful look."Mathieu, what-?" "It time for me to go." Mathew realized. "I wanted to talk to you one more time. That was my last regret." Even as he spoke the words, he knew they were the truth. 

"I don't want you to go." Francis admitted, "but I want you to be at peace." Mathew smiled a real smile, for the first time that night, and Francis returned it. For a moment, Mathew did feel peaceful, like he was ready to move on. He said everything he wanted to say, and had heard everything Francis wanted to say. There was nothing left to hold him back. Mathew thought that he felt ready to see what comes next. 

Then the door slammed open, and with his usual inability to read the atmosphere, Alfred burst into the room. "Mattie!" he cried, "don't go!". 


	5. Chapter 5

Alfred had a thousand and one things he wanted to say to Mathew, but standing in front of him, he couldnt seem to think of a single one. Finally his mouth worked and he managed to speak, but his thoughts all jumbled into one sentence and made no sense. "You didn't tell me you're disapearing before we play hockey."   
Mathew and Francis both stared at him dumbly. "What?" Mathew finally asked. Alfred tried again. "I mean, I'm the hero, if you had just waited a little longer I would have saved you." This time, Mathew laughed. "That's so like you Al." He tipped his head a little, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth.   
"You know, I'm really glad I met you. Sorry I didnt meet you sooner." Alfred wiped the tears from his eyes. "I could have saved you.." He repeated again, pitifully, as though to convince himself. Mathew thought about it, then responded. "I'm sure you would have." He reached out a hand as though to place it on Francis's shoulder, but it went right through. "Then, can you take care of everyone for me?" Alfred hesitated, not wanting to accept the truth.

"I-" he began, but Mathew cut him off before he could argue. "Not just Francis, but Yao, Ivan, Everyone. I don't want anyone else to feel the way I felt back then." Mathew pressed, and there was weight behind his words. Alfred felt the weight of the request, but he wasn't afraid. After all he was the hero, but more than that, Alfred didn't want to lose any of his friends ever again.

So even as Mathew's body seemed to fizzle like falling stars, in a thousand different sparklers, one by one, each going out, Alfred made his pledge. "I promise." Mathew's face had relaxed into a grateful smile at these words, almost a full-blown beam. Alfred on the other hand, fought his tears back, his face twisted and mouth turned down. Mathew was secretly happy that Alfred hadn't asked him any question, that he hadn't argued further.

He was grateful for the way that both his friends were holding their tears back, determined not to let their heartbreak be the last thing he saw. But Mathew didn't say the words he was thinking, only returned their brave expressions with a heartfelt smile of his own, a thank you for all the times that they spent together. 

"Goodbye."

When Arthur burst into the room only moments later, stumbling over his own feet, trailing behind him a equally stumbling trail of Alfred's friends, there was only Francis and Alfred left in the room. At the sight of his older brother-figure, Alfred's composure broke. Arthur barely had time to brace himself before Alfred threw himself into his arms, sobbing.

"He's gone!" Alfred sobbed unconsolably, shoulders shaking with the force of each breath. Francis, for once, did not cry, though his eyes were still red-rimmed and tender from before. He turned to Yao, shakily, and bowed his head. "Thank you." Francis barely whispered the words, but they still carried over Alfred's muffled sobs. 

Yao threw his hands up, unprepared. "No, I only did what's normal!" He protested, uncomfortable with the sudden attention. "Non," Francis argued, looking directly at him. "Without you, I would never 'ave seen him again. Merci." Ivan stayed a few feet back, confused and unsure of what had happened. Yao accepted Francis's thanks with a bow of his head.

Arthur was brushing back Alfred's hair with a look of pained bewilderment. "Francis," He called softly, brow knitted in confusion, "Are you okay?" Not "what happened?" or "Why is Alfred crying?" but "are you okay?" Francis smiled, a sad little smile, but a smile nonetheless. "Non," He responded, crossing the room and taking Arthur's hand. "But I will be." At these words, Alfred disentangled himself from Arthur's arms and grabbed Francis's free hand with his own opening and closing his mouth as though to say somethin, but unsure of what to say. 

Ivan, moving more on an instinct and a need to be part of the group than on a solid thought, suddenly moved to Alfred's side, taking his hand, and Yao, quick to catch on, grabbed Ivan's hand. For a moment, they all stood, joining hands, silently, in the dark room, and it seemed as though noting else had ever happened there, just the five of them, together. 

But soon enough, Arthur pulled away, wiping at his own eyes, and announced in thick voice, "Come now, its late, all of you should go home." With just those words, the group was dispersed, one by one trailing after Arthur as he walked briskly outside, and once there, the group split into two. Ivan had gone first, timidly, retrieving his dropped metal pipe of earlier, casting hesitant glances over his shoulder. Yao had followed, not looking back at all, as his house was in the same direction, and Ivan fell into step beside him, gaining confidence.

Francis, Alfred, and Arthur all walked together, as their houses were all on the same street in a silent understanding of each other, only speaking once they reached their destination. 

They split up at Arthur's house, Francis whispering his adieu and Arthur cooly waving him off. Alfred, however, had said enough goodbyes. "See you tomorrow!" he had said quickly, cutting off Arthur and running off. After all, Alfred had promised to make sure everyone was all right. 

There would be no more "Goodbyes."


	6. Epilougue

The next day, when they all gathered at school, the night before seemed like nothing more than a dream. Francis seemed to have decided that was the case, that it ad only been a dream Mathew had sent to say his final goodbyes. Arthur, ever superstitious, was more than willing to believe in a ghost, but stayed silent in support of Francis anyways. Neither Ivan nor Yao had seen anything, and both couldn't quite seem to remember the boy who had spent so much school time with them. 

Still Ivan felt that something was missing as he slid into his seat as normal, welcoming Alfred's chatter to fill the silence, and Yao remained unreadable, but his gaze kept slipping to the desk from the night before. 

  
Alfred looked at single white flower Yao had left in in the vase on the windowsill. Tucked into the vase next to the flower was single red maple leaf, despite it being nowhere near fall, and Alfred was sure it hadn't been there last night.

  
He felt a tiny smile form around the edges of his lips. "I hope you're happy now, Mattie." He whispered. It could have been just his imagination, or the rustling of paper of 20 school kids getting ready for class, but Alfred thought he heard a whisper in the air like a quiet voice breathing a final goodbye. 

  
"Thank you for everything, Alfred."


End file.
